The restructuring filing is to stop legal action by Kuwait’s pension fund, Kuwait Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) and other creditors who are seeking the liquidation and winding up of Abraaj for non-payment of debt. Investors including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through accountants had also uncovered lapses in control in the usage of funds. The appointment of provisional liquidators (PwC) imposes a moratorium (temporarily restriction) of all claims against Abraaj, allowing an orderly restructuring process.

The Abraaj Group is Middle East’s biggest private equity firm with $13.6 billion AUM, $8.1 billion in deployed capital in over 200 investments and had exited more than 100 investments totalling $6.8 billion (data as of 30th June 2017). The firm specialises in private equity, private credit, impact investing and real estate and invest into growth markets across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Turkey.

The Abraaj Group was founded in 2002 by Pakistani Arif Naqvi in 2002 with $60 million. He grew the firm into Middle East’s biggest private equity firm with $13.6 billion AUM in 2017, presence in over 20 country offices and 5 regional hubs in Dubai, Istanbul, Mexico City, Nairobi and Singapore.